A local YMCA branch offers a class called RAW for advanced exercisers, promising them a challenge and a chance to take their fitness to the next level with circuits, strength work and plyometrics. I sampled the class last week for a column, and I knew immediately that it could do amazing things for my running.

I headed back on Wednesday for the class, which one participant described as like "Insanity," but what I took was just insane.

The instructor had a 365-rep class to kick off the New Year, with everyone doing one rep for each day of 2013. There were 25 exercises, to be performed back-to-back with little rest. The kicker? Every other round was a set of 10 burpees.

I'm fairly certain that she modeled the class after one on ZuzkaLight.com but she took it to a whole new level of pain by incorporating challenging burpee variations. We did two round of burpees with tuck jumps. There were pure competition bupees. There was a variation with a frog jump and another with a jump forward. One round incorporated a tricep push-up and jumping with the weights. Two more included the obliques - one set jumping side to side, the other a side plank with rotation.

The Mac Daddy of them all? A single-arm burpee with shoulder press at the end. And, yes, there were two rounds - one for each side. I'm going to go ahead and be honest. I didn't even try that most challenging variation. The idea of face planting after 300+ reps, 100 of which were burpees (at that point) didn't seem like fun.

What did seem enjoyable, apparently, was attending the class for a second time - this time being more sociable and dragging Mark with me. The jerk could, of course, do the single-arm burpee but did find it a butt-busting, ego-crushing workout just as I did.

And he will tomorrow, too. Of course, he doesn't have to teach BODYPUMP. Now that will be fun.

4 comments:

Holy crow. I am exhausted just reading this. This past year I've realized how not in shape I am when I mostly run and slack on everything else. I reacquainted myself with bur pees in Dec. Ouch. Can't even imagine a tuck jump.

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A runner, ACE certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, weight-loss success and mom of two who is trying to live a healthy, full life. Feel free to contact me at hlthystrides (at) gmail (dot) com.